Why do a growing number of people want something for nothing?

Whether it be thinking they are "owed" something by someone else, by the government, or by private businesses, where did this type of thinking originate?

Are people willing to just sit back and let government take care of them cradle to grave?

Yes, the economy sucks, but if you had planned ahead, people wouldnt be feeling the hit they are now.

Some of the common excuses heard:

"but, but there aren't any jobs!!!"

Really? Then why are Craigslist, Backpage.com, and various other online sources not too mention local newspapers filled with help wanted ads?

Another excuse: "Well the corporations get bailouts, why shouldn't I?!?!?!"

Evidently 2 wrongs must make a right in those peoples minds.

I am a new poster here, but I am a veteran of other high volume forums, and yet another consistent excuse I see is "Oh, well I am disabled, so the government should support me".

Funny how people can be disabled, yet still manage to sit in a chair all day posting senseless topics about how they are owed something because they are disabled. Their disability obviously doesnt prevent them from sitting and typing, yet when a data entry type job is mentioned, more excuses always follow.

There once was a time when people were ashamed of being on welfare, or any form of public assistance for that matter. What happened? What changed? Where did the ideas of self responsibility and self reliance go?

Is it caused by the welfare state our country has come to be, or are people just generally getting lazier as time goes on?

Originally posted by Constitutional Scholar
Then why are Craigslist, Backpage.com, and various other online sources not too mention local newspapers filled with help wanted ads?

I think one of my computer screens (used by my wife) will get burnout spots from Craigslist being constantly displayed there. Along with other sources. She's a professional and she has a hard time finding a job that at least somewhat fits her profile, and with her Yale education she's not ready yet to be a Wallmart greeter. Your point?

Originally posted by buddhasystem

Originally posted by Constitutional Scholar
Then why are Craigslist, Backpage.com, and various other online sources not too mention local newspapers filled with help wanted ads?

I think one of my computer screens (used by my wife) will get burnout spots from Craigslist being constantly displayed there. Along with other sources. She's a professional and she has a hard time finding a job that at least somewhat fits her profile, and with her Yale education she's not ready yet to be a Wallmart greeter. Your point?

Are your personal finances suffering as a result of her "not being ready to work at Walmart"?

Why should anyone else be forced to pay for her refusal to work a certain job?

I agree with most of what you say with these 2 exceptions.

Originally posted by Constitutional Scholar
Another excuse: "Well the corporations get bailouts, why shouldn't I?!?!?!"

Evidently 2 wrongs must make a right in those peoples minds.

So, the ultra rich, that screw us in the first place, are entitled to our cash, tax dollars, but after being screwed by these people I'm not entitled to something?

Funny how people can be disabled, yet still manage to sit in a chair all day posting senseless topics about how they are owed something because they are disabled. Their disability obviously doesnt prevent them from sitting and typing, yet when a data entry type job is mentioned, more excuses always follow.

How do you know they are sitting? You can recline with cordless hardware, or a laptop. Also, how long can one that is disabled sit? Long enough to perform a job that requires it?

Originally posted by Constitutional Scholar
Why should anyone else be forced to pay for her refusal to work a certain job?

Because she's not qualified as a Walmart greeter or as a computer technician. The former is a bad example, actually, because these positons are never vacant, actually.

Intrepid-

No one is entitled to anything, be it a corporation or an individual.

Neither is right, and both need to be stopped. Using that excuse though is akin to a kid telling his parents "Well Johnny can go to the party, why cant I"?

On another note- Any welfare (corporate or individual) is unconstitutional.

Sitting was the term I used, but if someone is able to post on the internet all day, they are more than capable of getting any number of computer type jobs.

Hell, I work from home, and sit on my butt all day and make a very decent living.

It wasnt easy, and one must be motivated, but it is very possible to make good $$$ working from home in any position (sitting, reclining, upside down, on the roof, etc etc.)

I am working for a very big US networking company and I still can't get a decent contract thanks to the crappy stockmarket that never should have existed in the first place...

the stock market is only about control, making a cheap buck and getting monopolies...

it exploits the common hard working people!

so don't say I don't have anything to complain, I pay my taxes too.

To the OP:

what experience do you have yourself in finding jobs?
Just curious how familiar you are with what's involved.

I would agree that we think we are over-entitled.

Somewhere along the line we perverted "land of the free" into "we get everything for free."

I cant speak for the OP but I get offered a job at least once a week. I'm not especially skilled or even terribly bright but I show up on time, work hard and well regardless of what I'm doing and can communicate without slang. I also smile and dress like a human being not some wannabe or scenester who thinks looking like a slob, speaking in tongues and having bright pink hair doesn't make them less employable.

Seems like the Yalie needs to get out of the ivory tower for a spell. If you need money and you need a job you suck it up, take what you can get and do it better than anyone else is doing it.

Originally posted by buddhasystem
To the OP:

what experience do you have yourself in finding jobs?
Just curious how familiar you are with what's involved.

See my above post.

30 years old, started my first "real" job the day I turned 16 (cook at KFC, horrible job).

So in 14 years, I have had 40 or 50 jobs, some lasted an hour, some lasted 2 or 3 years.

I think its safe to say I know a thing or 2 about finding jobs.

The OP obviously has no idea how difficult it is to say to yourself..."ok..I need to do what I have to do for my family" and try to get any job you can...only to be told that you have "too much experience" or something of that nature.

This happens all the time weather or not anyone wants to believe it. Yes, there are some that expect everything just to be given to them, but I think that it is stereotypical to say that it is MOST people.

To the OP.... Do you think that if you lost your luxurious "work from home" job that you would have a job the next day weather it would be from home or out of your home? Maybe last year at this time, but not the way things are going today.

Edit to add-----
If you work from home, what would you do if the internet went out since that is your primary means for working?


[edit on 9-10-2008 by TARBOX]

Where has this sense of entitlement come from?

Years of paying taxes will do that to ya, strange that!

Um SORRY BUDDY, but, EVERYONE is worthy.

I am a mother, I don't want my child to go to some school and learn a bunch of BS, and spending the rest of his life trying to UNLEARN it, so I take care of him.

ANYONE saying that being a mother isn't a full time job x2 hasn' t been in those shoes!

I don't get paid, in fact I spend every spare resource on his future.

I am fine because I have been planting food to grow indoors for a long time and knew intuitivly this was comming for a LONG time.

BUT to put others down who didn't is not a lofty position to be in in my opinion.

My mother is a profesional who worked her @$$ of for over 30 years and has every course and credential you could find on paper, but for her to find a suitable job in our area took her 4 YEARS, of MAJOR pavement pounding. She almost relocated.

ALSO, 99% of the jobs these days just aren't WORTH it!

By the time you pay for your gas to get there, and daycare or a baby sitter, plus extra food etc to eat at work or go out to eat when you don't have time, decent "job" clothes etc...well it almost COSTS people to go to work these days, so YES, I can see why they blame the govenment and elite.

Just because I am far above comfortable myslef does not mean I am any better, and actually do my BEST to do my DUTY to my neighbours wherever POSSIBLE!


Sorry to come on so strong, but I was NOT impressed y this thread AT ALL>

I know how you feel to a certain extent. My opinion is that every American is entitled to an education and healthcare. In this day and age, it's inexcusable not to guarantee a right to those.

Considering the American people are the ones that actually have to spill their blood and sweat for this country to survive and continue onward, I don't think it's too much to ask that the government repay it's people by guarantying them a good, free education from K-12 and provide good, free health care for them.

But my opinion is also that the government's only function is to take care of it's people. If a government can't feed, secure, educate, and keep healthy those it supposedly depends on, what's the point? Before any nation goes giving handouts to other countries, they need to take care of their own house first. I'm not talking about entitlements and handouts, I'm simply talking about building infrastructure and trying to improve quality of life.

On the other hand, I do not support a welfare state. I do not support the social security system as it's currently constucted. The most crippling flaw of our society right now is that no one is held accountable. No one takes reponsiblity for their actions. From the top to the bottom. And it's making our nation, along with other things, a nation of sissies for lack of a better word. And I think this is where a lot of the "entitlement" attitude comes from.

On a side note, I'd like to see the list of declared billions of dollars a year our government wastes on other countries. Egypt, Israel, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, they all get billions of dollars a year from our government in "aid". I'm sure there are more countries and much more monies involved.

No offense to my foreign friends, but this angers me much, much more than my fellow American brothers and sisters wanting their government to show them a little love. As the past few days and weeks have shown us, this country could use some TLC at home.

[edit on 9-10-2008 by Mad Max]

[edit on 9-10-2008 by Mad Max]

Originally posted by TARBOX
The OP obviously has no idea how difficult it is to say to yourself..."ok..I need to do what I have to do for my family" and try to get any job you can...only to be told that you have "too much experience" or something of that nature.

This happens all the time weather or not anyone wants to believe it. Yes, there are some that expect everything just to be given to them, but I think that it is stereotypical to say that it is MOST people.

To the OP.... Do you think that if you lost your luxurious "work from home" job that you would have a job the next day weather it would be from home or out of your home? Maybe last year at this time, but not the way things are going today.

If the market for my business were to dry up tomorrow, I would have no problem finding a job. It may not be a job I like, but there are always construction sites that need to be cleaned up, burgers to be flipped, etc etc.

No one is overqualified to push a broom, or push some computer buttons.

Edit to answer: Then I would actually have to travel to do my job. Would it inconvenience me? Yes. Would I continue doing it? Absolutely.

[edit on 9-10-2008 by Constitutional Scholar]

It is the equivalent to living with an alcoholic who will spend $20-$40 a day on booze and then get pi$$ed off at his wife for wanting to buy the good bread instead of the stuff that tastes like styrafoam....how DARE she expect him to spend $2.00 on bread insted of $1.00!!! It might cut into his BOOZE money!!!

EXACT same situation.

Of COURSE they are entitiled!